Marion du Pont Scott

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Marion du Pont Scott (1894-1983), also spelled Marion duPont Scott, known as America's 'First Lady of Racing' was a philanthropist, internationally renowned Virginia horsebreeder and the last owner of Montpelier, the mansion and land estate of former United States President James Madison. At the time of her death, Ms. Scott bequeathed Montpelier to the National Trust For Historic Preservation as a national landmark open to the general public with the condition that the Madison home (which had been expanded to 55 rooms by the du Pont family) be restored to its original 22 room state as a historic landmark. A grant from the Mellon Foundation, as well as private donations, enabled restorations on Montpelier at a cost of fifty million dollars, including Thomas Jefferson designs, original woodwork, wallpapers, and carvings.

Ms. du Pont's important collection of books and periodicals on the history and practice of equestrian and related sports was donated to the University of Virginia's Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library with an endowment fund to maintain and expand the collection. Her famous 'red room' with decorations and furniture at Montpelier, although removed permanently from Montpelier during restoration, was moved to Montpelier's visitor center where it is open for viewing by the general public. The visitor center also displays several walls of photographs from Ms. du Pont's distinguished horse racing career. Mrs. du Pont Scott was married briefly to Hollywood actor Randolph Scott.

In 1934, Mrs. Scott and her brother William du Pont, Jr. founded the Montpelier Steeplechase Hunt Races, which are held at the Montpelier horse racing steeplechase course (which Montpelier overlooks) the first Saturday in November each year (a National Steeplechase Association event). The graves and tombstones of three of her beloved race horses remain off to the left of Montpelier Mansion. Two of the tombstones identify the horses in question, Battleship and Annapolis, as sons of legendary thoroughbred racehorse Man o' War. Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Virginia, was created in 1984 through a gift from Mrs. Scott. The center is a full-service equine hospital that offers advanced specialty care, 24 hour emergency treatment and diagnostic services for all ages and breeds of horses. The hospital sees approximately three thousand patients annually, and employs one hundred twenty equine healthcare professionals.

References

http://www.lib.virginia.edu/small/collections/scott/ http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/emc/welcome/history.asp http://www.montpelierraces.com/history.html